International Mobile Texting- How to do it for free!

[JlovesA 109]

It just occurred to me I should share my tip on how A and I text each other for free. Before we realized this trick, we racked up quite the cell phone bills.

If you and the person you want to text both have Twitter accounts, you can send each other direct (private) messages. Turn on the mobile notification setting for direct messages, bam. Free international texting. To reply, all you have to do is send a message to Twitter (in Canada the number is 21212) and in the message put a "D" and then a space, then the person's user name, space, then your message.

It works for us. Just thought I'd put it out there.

Edited July 3, 2010 by JlovesA

[Pauley 2]

It just occurred to me I should share my tip on how A and I text each other for free. Before we realized this trick, we racked up quite the cell phone bills.

If you and the person you want to text both have Twitter accounts, you can send each other direct (private) messages. Turn on the mobile notification setting for direct messages, bam. Free international texting. To reply, all you have to do is send a message to Twitter (in Canada the number is 21212) and in the message put a "D" and then a space, then the person's user name, space, then your message.

It works for us. Just thought I'd put it out there.

Genius use for Twitter. I like it. I've been on Twitter since '07 and post a lot in public, but that's a smart use for it privately.

Bear in mind, though, that it's only "free" in as much as there's no international charges for it or any charge to Twitter; you'll still incur your normal domestic text charges (against whatever bucket of messages you have on your wireless account, or per-message charges if that's what you have set).

The US shortcode, also, is 40404.

Edited July 3, 2010 by Pauley

[JlovesA 109]

Genius use for Twitter. I like it. I've been on Twitter since '07 and post a lot in public, but that's a smart use for it privately.

Bear in mind, though, that it's only "free" in as much as there's no international charges for it or any charge to Twitter; you'll still incur your normal domestic text charges (against whatever bucket of messages you have on your wireless account, or per-message charges if that's what you have set).

The US shortcode, also, is 40404.

Yeah, that's why I said "assuming you have a text plan." It's pretty cheap to get unlimited texting...I get it with Bell for $15 and it comes with other stuff like voicemail and unlimited mobile browsing.

Edited July 3, 2010 by JlovesA

[Pauley 2]

Yeah, that's why I said "assuming you have a text plan."

Whoops, missed the subtitle, you did say that. Sorry!

[FireKari 4]

I have Telus.

FireRay has ATT.

We have never been charged anything but standard texting rates on our phones,

which is the few dollars a month that the texting plan costs.

I've never been charged "international" texting, that sounds rediculous.

Depending on your phone, you may also be able to send/receive for free:

- facebook private messages

- facebook wall messages

- e-mails

I know we could with our telus att mix.

Edited July 4, 2010 by FireKari

[Pauley 2]

FireRay may have a text plan from AT&T that allows for international text messaging. AT&T offers several, but definitely charges 25 cents each for text messages sent out of the US if you don't have a different arrangement in place (Yvo sent three to her sister last month; my bill vouches for this ).

[nickbits 43]

If you have an iPhone I highly recommend Textfree. No texting plan needed.